Heath residents could see their irrigation schedules cut in half if daily water demand keeps climbing, the city warned this week following the Tuesday, Aug. 11 City Council meeting.
The City of Heath posted the alert on its official Instagram account on Aug. 11, saying customer demand "is currently reaching the threshold that could require Heath to move to Stage 2 of the Water Conservation Plan." That threshold is 6.3 million gallons in a single day. If usage hits that mark on two days within any seven-day stretch, Stage 2 kicks in automatically.
Under Stage 2, homeowners with irrigation systems would be limited to watering once per week instead of the current twice-per-week schedule.
City Manager Steven Alexander followed up with a video recap posted to the city's X account on Wednesday, Aug. 12, urging conservation during peak summer weeks.
How close is the city?
Heath's total daily supply limit is 7.0 million gallons per day, secured through a wholesale water purchase agreement with the City of Rockwall approved April 14. According to the city's Water-Wise page, daily usage readings in late July and early August ranged from 3.7 million to 5.9 million gallons, with several days approaching 5.8 million gallons or higher.
The 6.3-million-gallon trigger sits at 90% of the city's supply capacity.
What residents should do now
Heath is currently under Stage 1 Year-Round Conservation. Residents in the Yellow Zone may irrigate Tuesdays and Saturdays; Pink Zone residents may water Wednesdays and Sundays. No watering is allowed between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Residents can find their designated days using the GIS map at heathtx.com/water-wise or download the My Water Advisor 2.0 app to track usage and receive leak alerts.
Violations carry escalating fines: a warning for the first offense, $150 for the second, rising to $500 plus a citation for the ninth and subsequent violations.
Infrastructure on the way
The conservation push comes as Heath builds out its Water Bridge Plan, funded by $41.5 million in bonds issued earlier this year. The plan includes a 1.5-million-gallon elevated storage tank on Governors Boulevard, a 3-million-gallon ground storage tank and six potable water wells. Phoenix Fabricators & Erectors won the elevated tank contract at $7.86 million; construction began around Aug. 4, with completion expected by May 2027.
At the April 14 council meeting, Mayor Jeremiah McClure noted the city had secured "6.5–7 MGD for the summer, and a plan to receive up to 9 MGD over the next five years" through the Rockwall agreement.
Upcoming
The city's next Tacos and TexScape water education workshop is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 23, from 6–7:30 p.m. in the Community Room at City Hall.
